The electronic device fabrication industry requires various liquid chemicals as raw materials or precursors to fabricate integrated circuits and other electronic devices. It is important that during the electronic device fabrication process the various liquid chemicals used are not mixed together and are individually maintained at high purities, in order to meet the stringent requirements of the electronic fabrication industry.
During the electronic device fabrication process, these various liquid chemicals are repeatedly moved between chemical containers and one or more valve-containing manifolds via a common system of conduits and ports (openings). Therefore, at different phases during the fabrication process, it is necessary to purge a particular chemical from all wetted surfaces within the system before a new chemical may be introduced to the system. This is commonly accomplished via the use of a purge gas that is forced through the system.
As the term relates to the present field of technology, a “non-impinged deadleg” is a portion of a piping or conduit system that purge gas cannot be directly projected into. In existing systems, the geometry of the conduits and ports makes it such that one or more non-impinged deadlegs are present in the system during the purge step. The presence of one or more non-impinged deadlegs in the system decreases the purging efficiency of the system because the purging step must occur for a longer period of time—and additional purge gas must be used—in order to sufficiently purge all of the chemical from the wetted surfaces of the system.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved systems and methods that increase the purge efficiency of these systems.